One of my regular full moon rituals is really not all that witchy... cleaning!
Something about the amped up energy of the full moon and the call to release what isn't serving to get back on track with my vision almost always has me cleaning house, reorganizing drawers, and cleaning out clutter.
Also with #Imbolc fast approaching, my spring cleaning-fueled focus took me outside and I got to work on the space behind my cottage. I admit it took me a surprisingly long time before I first noticed that there was a ton of old wire fencing, a satellite dish, and a pile of wet wood and branches back there. But since it is right outside my bedroom nook, I've been waiting for my energy to peak so I could clear it out.
There's still more work to be done but I did clear out the bulk of it and that's as much as I can handle for today!
Now my mind feels free to wonder what I could do with that little space... I don't think it gets any sun crammed between fence and cottage, but is there maybe something I could plant here?? #saltspringisland#modernwitch#moonrituals#earlyspringcleaning#gardening#pnwgardening#whattoplant#yardwork#gardenideas#shadygarden#makingspace#decluttering#gardeninghelp

Local entomologist, Elise Knowlton, will lead a discussion on beneficial insects for your garden. And, we'll build insect hotels!
All supplies will be provided by if you have small stones, pine cones, twigs or large dead flowers, etc. that you'd like to add, feel free to bring them.
This class is great for young gardeners, too!
🐝Saturday, March 2nd, 1pm
Materials fee: $20
🐞Reservations Required🐞 Link is in our bio.

The potatoes in grow bags trial is going well, 3 of the 4 potato varieties have several shoots with leaves well above the top of the bag, 1 hasn't sprouted and neither have the sweet potatoes. So 6 bags have been filled up with soil. I didn't sprout the sweet potatoes prior to planting so not overly surprised they have failed, a tad disappointed 1 of the potatoes hasn't sprouted although there are some tiny green shoots visible. #growbags#gardeningtrial#potatoes#rootpouch

Seed viability🌱 As you curl up in a ball of happiness with your newly-delivered seed catalog, you might be wondering about how long your leftover seeds are good for. Seeds have a shelf-life as to how viable (able to germinate & grow) they are. In a nutshell, if a brand new seed has a 90% germination rate, that means 9 out of every 10 seeds sown should grow. Now, once that same seed is around three years old, the germination rate probably drops to around 60%, so that means that you’ll need to sow more of these older seeds to have a better chance of germination.
Here’s a quick listing of the shelf life of some of your favorite veggies:
Beans — 3 years
Beets — 4 years
Broccoli — 3 years
Cabbage & Kale — 4 years
Carrots — 3 years
Celery — 5 years
Cucumbers — 5 years
Lettuce — 5 years
Onions, Leeks & Shallots— 1 year
Peas — 3 years
Peppers — 2 years
Pumpkins — 4 years
Radish — 5 years
Spinach — 2 years
Squash — 4 years
Turnips — 5 years
Tomato — 4 years
Your seeds make have a little more kick in them than this list says. Do a germination test to check your seed’s viability-dampened a paper towel, fold in half. Take a few seeds & place on the damp towel. Fold the towel over the seeds & place in a ziplock bag in a warm location. After a few days, open the bag and take a peek to see what’s germinated, that’ll give you a good gage of how your seeds are doing. If the germination rate is down, but there is still viability, simply sow those seeds out in the garden at a heavier rate, knowing that not all may germinate💚
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#seedstarting#gardenchat#gardenlovers#gardenlife#organicgardening#gardensofinstagram#instagarden#growyourownfood#homegrown#kitchengarden#homegarden#vegetablegarden#potager#allotment#urbangarden#growwhatyoueat#veggiegarden#permaculture#growfromseed#gardeningtips#backyardgarden#greenthumb#gardeninghelp#ilovegardening